Display shelf of changeable shape



Nov. 16, 1954 A. LORBER DISPLAY SHELF OF Cl-IANGEABLE SHAPE 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 21, 1950 lllilllll .i.

qllll Hum h IHIIW a m Ms. Z M H 06m, T N wkwb nmm am w n NW. 16, 1954 A.LORBER 2,694,611

DISPLAY SHELF OF CHANGEABLE SHAPE Filed June 21, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTORZ BY iwrw Wm w gwwwl ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofiice2,694,611 Patented Nov. 16, 1954 DISPLAY SHELF OF CHAN GEABLE SHAPEAbraham Lorber, Rego Park, N. Y.

Application June 21, 1950, Serial No. 169,317

3 Claims. (Cl. 31135) This invention is a novel display shelf in thenature of a portable fiat support adapted to be set in and fitted tovarious situations and constructed to be readily changeable, as bymanual adjustment of its components, in respect to its general outlineand extent, so that it may be varied at will as to its shape or contour.purpose is to afford such an elongated shelf which is well adapted tosupport articles of various kinds that are to be placed on display; anda specific object is to provide selective variation of the shelf contoursuch as to render it available to be altered at will to suit changes inthe character of the goods to be displayed or to suit the arrangementthereof upon the shelf. Typical practical uses of the changeable shelfof this invention include instances wherein the articles are placed onor within show cases or shop counters, or in display cabinets formuseums and the like, as well as in show windows for exhibiting to thepublic articles which for example are on sale, or are shown to attractattention. It has of course been well known to provide for displaypurposes rigid shelves of desired contour and shiftable in location butlacking the convertibility or changeable character of such shelves withrespect to the contours thereof, as herein disclosed.

The general object of the present invention is to overcome theabove-mentioned restrictions and shortcomings of the prior art ofdisplay shelving, and particularly to provide for the readychangeability of an elongated display shelf as to its outline orextension by means of adjustment, or swing, with respect to each other,of the component members or disks making up the shelf, and to provide amanner of so varying the shelf as to afford desirable departures inselective ways and degrees from mere straightness or normality of theshelf and in a manner to facilitate, by artistic skill, the devising ofunusual and attractive arrangements and eifects. Other 5 and furtherobjects and advantages of the invention will be explained in thehereinafter following description of certain typical embodiments of theinvention or will be understood by those conversant with the subject.

To the attainment of the objects and advantages mentioned the presentinvention consists in the novel changeable-shape shelf, and its featuresof construction, combination and detail herein disclosed. Particularlythe invention consists of the combinations comprising the followingelements: An aligned, elongated and interlinked series of at least threefiat and rigid disks of generally circular form and with equal givenradii and being functionally substantially identical. Each one of atleast three of the disks in line is of crescent-like shape by reason ofhaving a peripheral recess or cutaway of arcuate form drawn to the givenradius, and accommodating with working fit a portion of thecircumference of the next succeeding disk but extending somewhat shortof the center of the first mentioned disk. A concealed interconnectormember bridging and linking the two disks of each adajcent pair byreason of having a first extension or body rigid or integral with oranchored nonrotatively to the first of such two disks, and having asecond extension or radial arm which is pivotally connected to thecenter of the second of such disks, by reason of which the first disk ofeach pair may be bodily swung, or the second disk rotated adjustably,about the center of the latter, to selected positions of the two disksrelatively to each other. By these combined features, for any setting oradjustment of the disk series and during adjusting thereof, thearticulated disks of such series are The basic maintained in mutualworking contact within such recesses, rendering unitary the changeableshelf comprising the same, while the interconnector devices, overlappingthe disk pairs, confer rigidity on the entire disk series and shelf. Theinvention consists also of various other disclosed features of structureand operation; such as advantageous particular disks, including a duplexconstruction of disk composed of upper and under diskhalves, plates orsections, with a fiat shallow interspace between, produced by andoccupied by the aforesaid interconnectors, spacers or interiorarticulating link members, which unify the whole disk series into theshelf of this invention; also various particular shelf shapes, mountingmeans and details.

In a broader aspect the combination including the following recitedelements constitutes an illustrative means for attaining theirfunctions, namely, the concealed interconnector member bridging andlinking the two disks of each adjacent pair and having a body anchoredrigidly or integral with the first of such two disks and a radial armextending to the central pivot of the second disk; other mechanicalmeans being available to afford the same actions and results.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a top plan view of anillustrative display shelf of disk construction, elongated character andchangeable shape, embodying the present invention; the figure showing infull lines a normal or straightaway arrangement and in dot-and-dashlines one of the many possible changed adjustments of the interconnectedor articulated disk components, there being shown as an example seven ofthe disks, wherein those between the middle and one end of the series orrow are displaced or swung away successively from the centerline toproduce a general curvature in a direction from the observer, whilethose toward the other end are shown swingingly adjusted or offsettoward the observer, with the total effect of a reverse curvature of thegeneral median line of the disk series.

Fig. 2, on a smaller scale and in front elevation, shows the same seriesor elongated row of shelf disk members, indicated as arrangedhorizontally, in this case at an elevation above the fioor line, bymeans such as upright standards or posts, rather than resting upon thefloor, table or other support.

Fig. 3, on a scale larger than Fig. 1, shows in top view certain detailsof disk structure and the relationship between each two adjacent disksof the shelf; the upper part of each disk being omitted in order toexpose the interior structure, including certain disk interconnectordevices, members or links; this figure illustrating the basic principlesof the invention and showing supplementally a certain special fillerdisk.

Fig. 4, in further enlarged view, is a detail section taken on the line44 of Fig. l or 3, showing a pivot or eyelet piece extending centrallythrough a disk and through an enclosed linking device; while Fig. 5 is asimi-' lar section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1 or 3, showing one ofthe two similar fastening pieces for riveting or attaching the linkingdevice to a disk, when the adhesive plan or that of integrality of diskand device, hereinafter referred to, is not used.

Fig. 6 in a view like Fig. 3, but on a smaller scale, shows a modifiedform of the basic structure.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but with one of an adjacent pair ofdisks changed and swung from a straight alinement to one of the extremeor limiting positions thereof.

The figures thus far described disclose the complete structure of thepreferred shelf hereof and one way of mounting the same for affording aview of the shelf top and the articles exposed therein.

Figs. 8, 9 and 10 show three different ones of many possiblerearrangements of shelf disks; Fig. 8 showing a general arrangement inthe form of the letter L, two of which could be combined to affordsubstantially a square arrangement; Fig. 9 showing a T-shape generalarrangement produced by combining two series of disks; and Fig. 10showing a compact and generally circular shelf or support composed offive tightly closed-together shelf members; which could be attained alsowith six disks, leaving a central hole useful to support the shelf atopa single standard.

Fig. 11, in a view like Fig. 3, shows a modification of structurewherein the interior connector or linking devices .of the shelf arecomposed of bent wires rather than sheet material.

Referring to the drawings, at Figs. 1 and 2, the illustrative-shelf 20is a -multiple-disk structurewith at least three and preferably moredisks 31 in series; to be fully described, seven being shown, thesebeing interconnected and articulated in line'so-as to afford a unitaryshelf. This shelf is shown in full lines as a straightaway-shelf, with astraight centerline,-but is changeable, as seen in dot-dash lines, to areversely curved shelf 20A. --Many changes of extent, length 'or shapeare available, for example,- the ten-disk series of Fig.- 8 ismanipulated into an L-form shelf 20B,-with two straight stretchesorgroups set at 90 apart. In Fig. 9 with a straight group of seven disks aT-shape shelf 20C is afforded by adding a lateral group of four'disks.Fig. 10 shows a very-co'mpact shelf form D, with fiveor more disksadjusted snugly into a closed ring.

-Each regular or normal disk 31- is provided with a central.disk-securing member 21 having certain functions to be described; andwhen in eyelet form,-as in Figs. 1, 3, 4, 6 and others, constituting asocket piece useful for the elevated mounting of the shelf. Thus thesocket members 21 of the first and last disks cooperate in mounting theshelf, according .to Fig. 2, showing a typical means, asone or morestandards 22, for the-purpose. This standard is shown'as comprisingabase 23 to rest upon a table or floor, and upstanding from the base alower post section 24, continued as an upper section 25, the two beingmutually adjustable in a telescoping manner to vary the height of thestandard, with a set screw 26 to fix the adjustment At the top of thepost is carried a rocking joint or hinge to permit lateral tilting ofthe shelf, this being shown as a ball andsocket joint 27 adapted to beclamped in its adjusted position by a wing nut 28, the upper part ofthis joint being formed with a collar 29 providing a supportingshoulder, above which projects upwardly a pin '30,. adapted to receivethe socket or eyeletpiece 21 of one or more disks of the shelf. In thisway the :shelf 20 may be supported at ornear each of the two ends of theshelf, or by other desired arrangements, utilizing or not thesocketpieces 21.

Among other ways of disposing or mounting-a disk shelf such as describedare the following. The shelf may be laid directly upon afloor or a tableor may extend as a bridge across a space fromone support or shelf .to

another. When the shelf rests upon upstanding supports, as shown in Fig.2, instead of thesingle tier shown, the total arrangement maybe withsuccessive tiers. One such arrangement, using preferably two or moreupright standards, is to arrange a superposed series of shelves, thoseabove the lowest being of progressively decreasing dimensions widthwiseor lengthwise. By suitably employing upright standards or the like anassociated group of shelves may be arranged in stepped fashion, each ofthe higher shelves being offset relatively to the lower ones. Thefacilities being provided it remains for the decorator to make hisselections and arrangements according to the character of the goodsbeing displayed and his own taste therein.

The disks making up any of the shelf forms of this invention may be ofseveral different types thus facilitating the laying out and erecting ofthe shelf. What may be considered as the main or regular or normal type31 of disk may be described as of crescent shape orthe like by reason ofhaving a peripheralrecess or cutaway area 37 of arcuate form, drawn tothe given radius, uniform throughout the system. This disk form is bestshown in Figs. 1, 3 and 6 and as well the supplemental Figures 7 to 11.The recess accommodates with working .fit the next succeeding disk as toa substantial extent of arc or segment of the latter, but the recess(and segment) extending, as shown, somewhat short of the center of theformer disk. By this arrangement each disk is rotativelygaitililtgstable about its own center relatively to the preceding 'II1structure, each of the disks is of generally circular outline, drawn tothe given radius, although interrupted as for the crescent shape asalready described. Each disk is :flat and rigid and may be composed ofvarious materials, such as plywood, presswood, a light'met al :such

--or-the like. As will-be further described the series of disks in anygiven shelf has its individual disks linked or interconnected in asingle plane by means of linkages or devices to be described.

Disk types other than the regular or crescent type include some with andsome without central pivots. For example there is shown in Figs. 1, 3,8, 9 and 11 a filler type 32 of disk, being a special type of lenticuiarform, drawnto the-given radius, and useful to apply at the end of aseries of crescent disks to complete and round out the second terminus,affording a better appearance than the-concave end recess that one ofthe normal disks 31 would present. The disk 32 may be symmetrical, withboth edges struck from the standard radius. A full-round type 33 ofshelf disk is shown in Fig. 9 at the righthand end of the main series.Another disk type 34 is one with double or opposed arcuate recesses, asin Fig. 9, useful inadding to the main series or shelf a laterallyextending supplement.

It is preferable that instead of being bare, the disks at theirvisiblesurfaces should, for appearance sake, be provided withfacings orcoverings 36 of one kind or another. At least thetopsides' of the disksof a given shelf should befaced, and'both top and bottom sides if theshelf is to be used reversely or with inversion for certain set-ups. Asuitable facing to support small articles, jewelry .for example isiacovering of soft material, such asvel'vetsor pile fabrics, (felt and thelike; although sometimes --painted coatings .or oilcloth layers may besufficient. In any .casethe facings may be appropriately colored, .inone or more colors; and when composed of fabrics the material maybe cutto the disk outline including the arcuate shapeofthe recess 37 andapplied'by meansof driven fastenings such as tacks, or by adhesives,permanently holding thefacings'in place, separately upon each of therelatively shiftable disks, so that the facings can he preapplied,corresponding to the outline of each of .the.-disks, in such way .thatwhen assembled into a shelf v.a soft materialwill present .a uniformunbroken appearance .continuous throughout the extent of the shelf. Anavailable form of facing, of-interest, is such as will affordareflecting action, as amirror overlying each disk or. constituting astructural partthereof. To prevent the edgesorthedisks lbeiugnoticeablethey may be suitably surfaced, .asiby painting.

.Instead of mounting the movable "linkink and asso ciated parts merelyvatthe underside of a one-piece disk without .a. complementaryplate-like member therebelow, or with rnerelysa skeletonized structurebelow the top-portion 'of' the disk, it is preferable to construct thedisk; as..a duplex member, that is, as a two-part disk,with..spaced-apart upper and under sections, half-disks or circularplates, with an upper-section 38 and an under section 39 whose spacingprovides an interspace 40. This between-section space is shown as a fiatand shallow working compartment, occupied by the interior linkage, thelatter preferably serving as thespacing :means to hold. apartthe upperand under sections. Of course, inthecaseof .a reversible shelf the upperportion or section maybecome the under section by inversion.

:The principal memberibetween the disk sections is whatmay be termed aconnector device 41, bridging interiorlyv across from-one disk -to thenext, being thus interconnected with both disks of any adjacent pair,and serving to articulate the successive disks of the shelf, whileholding thedisks 'stiffly-zin a single plane. The interconnecting spaceror link 41 is itself thin for lightnessand compactness and rigid topromote the general rigidity, \strength and alignment of the series ofsuccessive .disks.

The character of'the interior member 41 in one form is best shown inFig. 3, as composed of a shaped plate, whose portion which overlaps thefirst of an adjacent pair =of-disksis shown as a forked' body portion orextension -42-which spans a substantial area of the 'first of --.thesedisks and is rigid with, for example, secured to ordntegral with saiddisk, preferably at both the underside oflthe upper section: and theupper side of the undersection of the'disk. For. securing the link body42 rigidly to'one'or-bo'th disk sections a strong adhesive 43may beused,zindicated by stippled dots, or welding,-or'integrality; or a formofmechanical fastening-44 suchasia'fiush headed double bolt, Fig. 5. Theconnector .link :secon'd extension or arm 45 extends across the arcuaterecess of the first disk and beyond to the center of the second disk,where it has a pivotal or rotating connection with the center of thesecond disk, this pivot being provided by the eyelet member 21, shown indetail in Fig. 4, which serves not merely as a center as just describedbut as a securing means holding together the parts or sections of thesecond disk, the eyelet ends being clinched, and this member 21 servingalso, sometimes, as a mounting socket when the shelf is placed upon oneor more standards in the manner of Fig. 2. The two-extension link memberthus overlaps both disks, being rigid with the first and rotatable withthe second.

Reviewing the disk construction of Figs. 1-3, each fiat connecting link42 is assembled between the two sections 38 and 39 of its disk 31 andthere applied rigidly to the disk by mounting it upon one or both of thesections, as by two of the bolt fasteners 44, which give a securemounting. The forked or concave shape of the link body 43 allowsclearance for the bearing or center eyelet 21. Each link is showntriangular with its sides between the two bolts of one disk respectivelyand the eyelet of the next succeeding disk, being of concave orreentrant form, giving clearance for the relative swing of either of thebolts 44 toward the otherwise obstructing arm 45 of the link member.

A predetermined point on the first disk link 42, marked with a star 46may be so located, as shown, as to serve as a limiting stop to therotation of the next disk and the swing of its bolts 44. This swing pathis marked with a motion line 47 on Fig. 3, and when the limit isreached, in the position shown in Fig. 7, the bolt will have met thelink at 46 and prevented further swing, avoiding the impacting of thecrescent horn of one disk upon the periphery of the second disk beyond.

A modified connector link 41A is shown in Fig. 6, with the spread orbranched body 42A rigid on one disk and the arm extensions 45A, nowtaking the form of an enlarged circle or head extending over the seconddisk and beyond to overlap also the third disk, giving thereby anenhanced stiffening of the disk series; suflicient clearance beingallowed between links and disk sections to permit the shape-changingmanipulation of the disks without jamming. In this form the link body42A is re-shaped and recessed to accommodate the enlarged head of thepivoted arm 45A. While bolts 44 may be used, and a stop point 46Aprovided as before, the link may instead be made a rigid part of thedisk by a strong adhesive 43 attaching the link facewise to one or bothof the sections of the disk.

Each disk 31 and its link 41 may be unitarily precombined as of banjo orfrying pan shape, generally speaking, and a series of these unitsassembled and secured into the structure of any of those illustrated.The bent wire links 418 of Fig. 11 afford a more loosely assembledshelf, but one more simple and cheaply made, the wire structureproviding the body 4213 and the arm 45B extending to the pivot 21.

The preference has been explained of filling out the last crescent disk31 into a full circle by adding a lenticular disk 32, which may be builtup analogously with upper and under sections with a spacer between. SeeFigs. 1, 2, 3, l1 and others. It may be applied to the final crescentdisk in various ways, e. g. by having a projecting tongue 49 andattaching it to or With the spacer, as by bolts, so as to protrudefiatwise from the disk 32. This tongue may be thrust into the interspace40 of the final disk 31, there to hold frictionally or by a supplementalholding clip or screw, the tongue being forked or shaped to escapeinterference with the eyelet 21 or link arm 45 of the crescent disk. Ananalogous tongue 49B is shown in Fig. 11 made of wire. The previouslymentioned attachment of special disk 34 in Fig. 9 may be of the samecharacter, it having a plate or tongue 49A protruding from the disk 34interspace and shoved into the disk 31 interspace, where it is held byfriction or a fastener.

There has thus been described a display shelf embodying the principlesand attaining the objects of the present invention; but since variousmatters of construction, combination and detail may be variouslymodified without departing from the invention it is not intended tolimit the invention thereto except to the extent set forth in theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A display shelf of changeable shape comprising an interconnected orlinked series of at least three flat and rigid disks of generallycircular form and functional similarity, and of equal given radii, eachone of a succession of three or more of such disks in series being ofcrescent-like shape by reason of having a peripheral recess or cutawayarea of arcuate form drawn to the said given radius, and accommodatingwith working fit a substantial extent of circumferential 'arc andsegment of the next succeeding disk in line, said recess being ofsubstantial depth but extending somewhat short of the center of thefirst mentioned disk; and a concealed interconnector member or devicebridging and linking the two disks of each adjacent pair by having afirst extension or body rigid or integral with or anchorednon-rotatively to the first of such two disks, and having a secondextension or radial arm extended and pivotally connected to the centerof the second of such disks, by reason of which the first disk of eachpair may be bodily swung or the second disk rotated adjustably about thecenter of the latter to selected positions of the two disks relativelyto each other; whereby for any setting or adjustment of the disk series,and during adjusting thereof, the articulated disks of such series aremaintained in mutual Working contact within such recesses, renderingunitary the changeable shelf compris' ing the same, while theinterconnector devices overlapping the disk pairs confer rigidity on theshelf; the said shelf structure being further characterized in that eachdisk has a socket hole of the character of a central eyelet, formounting the shelf on top of one or more standards each having anupstanding pin to receive such central eyelets.

2. A display shelf of changeable shape comprising an interconnected orlinked series of several fiat and rigid disks of generally circular formand functional similarity, and of equal given radii; each one of asuccession of several of such disks in series being of crescent-likeshape by reason of having a peripheral recess or cutaway area of arcuateform drawn to the said given radius, and accommodating with working fita substantial extent of circumferential arc and segment of the nextsucceeding disk in line, said recess being of substantial depth butextending somewhat short of the center of the first mentioned disk; anda mechanical means interconnecting the two disks of each adjacent pairin a manner by reason of which the first disk of each pair may be bodilyswung or the second disk rotated, adjustably about the center of thelatter to selected positions of the two disks relatively to each other;whereby for any setting or adjustment of the disk series, and duringadjusting thereof, the articulated disks of such series are maintainedin mutual working contact within such recesses, rendering unitary thechangeable shelf comprising the same; the said shelf structure beingfurther characterized in that each disk has a socket hole of thecharacter of a central eyelet, for mounting the shelf on top of one ormore standards each having an upstanding pin to receive such centraleyelets.

3. A stationary shelf adjustable to selected shapes of shelf andcomprising a rigidly interlinked series of pairs of flat and stiffsmooth-topped first and second successive circular disks of equal radiiextending from end to end of the shelf; each given disk being of agenerally circular shape with a peripheral arcuate recess, of saidradius, adapted to accommodate a peripheral arcuate portion of the nextsucceeding disk, such recess being of substantial depth but extendingshort of the center of the first such successive disk; aninterconnecting link bridging such two successive disks by having a bodyextension unitary with said first disk and a radial arm extensionreaching and pivotally connected to the center of the second disk;whereby the first disk of each pair may be adjustably bodily swung aboutthe central pivot of the second disk and the second disk may beadjustably rotated about such pivot, in the arranging and installing ofthe fixed and unitary shelf in its place of stationary use; the seconddisk carrying at each side a projecting stud adapted to strike and to belimited by the link when the first disk is swung or the second disk isrotated to excess; and the disks of said series being mutually selfsupporting between exterior points of support.

(References on following page) '7 References .Citefl in the'filelof-this patent UNITED STATESPATENTS Name Date 7 Norden 2. Oct. 7,1902 Peek' Dec. '30, 1902 Edwards July 5, 1904 Gemmill July- 10, 1917Purcell Aug. 8, 1922 Bethke ..-May '6, 1930 Number Name Date 7 Rogers,Sr. July 28,? 1931 Hopkins Aug. 4, 1931 Dyson May 9, 1939 Crumpler June12, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Germany Feb. 8, 1899

